Victoria Ground - The Stadium Guide The Stadium Guide Club: Stoke City FC | Opening: 1878 | Closing: 1997 | Final capacity: 22,500 seats Description Victoria Ground, often nicknamed The Vic, was for 119 years the home ground of Stoke City FC until the club moved to the Britannia Stadium in 1997. In its early days Stoke City had played at the Victoria Cricket Ground and Sweeting’s Field before it moved to the Victoria Ground in 1878. As the ground was originally an athletics venue it had an oval shape and a running track circling the pitch. The first match at the stadium, on the 28th of Match 1878, was played between Stoke and Talke Rangers (0-1). The Victoria Ground took its name from the nearby Victoria Hotel. In the following decades very few changes were made to the ground. Whereas in the rest of the country modern concrete stadiums were constructed, Victoria Ground remained nothing more than three uncovered banks and a small wooden stand. By the end of the First World War the stadium had finally undergone further developments with the construction of two extra stands.

Developments continued in the following 20 years and by the 1930s the stadium had lost its oval shape and the Boothen End was fully terraced. In 1935 a new main stand, the Butler Street Stand, was built. The new stand could seats about 5,000 fans and would be the showcase stand for the following three decades. The record attendance of the ground was set in a league match against Arsenal in 1937. A total of 51,380 people visited the match that day. In 1963 a new main stand was built along Boothen Road. At the same time the club celebrated its centenary with a match against the legendary Real Madrid side. During a storm in January 1976 the roof of the Butler Street Stand was blown off. The subsequent repair works severely depleted the club’s financials and indirectly led to the club’s relegation in the following year. However, Stoke bounced back a few years later and saw Victoria Ground further improved with the construction of a new two-tier stand at the Stoke End.

At the same time two out of four floodlights were replaced, giving the ground a unique look with two different sets of floodlights. Further smaller renovations were made in the 1980s, mainly to improve corporate facilities. In 1994 Stoke announced the construction of a new all-seater stand, which was to hold 9,000 supporters, however plans were never realised as the club opted for the construction of a new stadium instead. A complete renovation of Victoria Ground would have been too expensive. In its final years Victoria Ground had a capacity of 22,500 seats. The last official match at the ground was played on the 4th of May 1997. The league match between Stoke and West Brom ended in a 2-1 Stoke win. After that match several low-key matches were still played at the ground, and the actual last match was a pre-season friendly against Coventry City. However only 4,000 people attended that match, the rest having already said goodbye during the West Brom match. After Stoke moved into the Britannia Stadium the Victoria Ground got demolished. Up to today however no redevelopments have taken place and the site remains empty.

Keep up to date with the latest stadium news by following @stadiumguide on Twitter (all updates) or liking our Facebook page (occasional updates). Record your memories Victoria Ground Victoria Ground Victoria Ground Stoke played at The Victoria Ground for more than 119 years – from March 1878 to May 1997 – and by doing so, established a record of staying the longest period of time at one ground in English football history. The Vic was part of the Stoke Victoria Athletic Club’s ground, and was initially oval-shaped; comprising a large running track with a fair-sized playing-area in the centre on which the primary sport played was cricket. The first organised football match to take place there was the inaugural Staffordshire FA Senior Cup Final against neighbours Talke Rangers on 28th March 1878, where a crowd of 2,500 witnessed a 1-0 win for the home side following their move from the nearby Sweeting's Field. On 8 September 1888, Stoke played their first ever Football League game – at home to West Bromwich Albion. The Vic played host to 4,524 spectators, who were unfortunate to witness a 2-0 defeat.

The visitors subsequently became the first team to head the new League table. After Stoke dropped out of the Football League in 1908, the ground was declared one of the poorest in the Football League – this forced the Club into some action, and by the time they returned to the top division in 1919, the Vic boasted two covered terraces and a 1,000-seater stand. 1956 saw the installation of floodlights, with none other than fierce rivals Port Vale being the visitors in a Second Division clash to declare them switched on. The Valiants were left in the shadows of their opponents, though, as Stoke ran out 3-1 winners in front of a bumper crowd of 38,729. Vale had to host a Stoke City home game in 1976 after an extraordinary gale hit the city of Stoke-on-Trent, causing a home league game against Middlesbrough to be moved there after the roof of The Vic’s Butler Street stand was ripped off. Although this was later replaced, it proved to be very costly for Stoke as prized assets were sold on to balance the books.

Further developments were made as the commercial opportunities grew in football, with the Stanley Matthews Suite being built in 1987. A new two-tier stand was built at the Stoke End of the ground, containing 4,000 seats, then following two years on, before a club shop and promotions office complex annexed were onto the stand in 1992. Plans for a £5m ground redevelopment were shelved during the 1996-97 season when the Club announced plans for a new ground, the Britannia Stadium, at nearby Trentham Lakes. In a twist of fate, the final league game at the Victoria Ground on 4th May 1997 came against West Bromwich Albion, their first ever opponents. This time it was Stoke who came out top, recording a 2-1 victory on an emotional day for 22,500 supporters.

RECORDS Britannia Stadium - Stoke City F.C Guide | Football Tripper Britannia Stadium Last Updated: September 14, 2015 Social media Share this article Address: Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke, Staffordshire, ST4 4EG Capacity: 27,740 Wikipedia The Britannia Stadium is the home of Premier League club Stoke City F.C and was built in 1997 for just under £15 million to replace the Victoria Ground which at the time was the oldest operational football league stadium in England. Contents Stadium Guide History The Britannia Stadium first opened on the 30th August 1997 in a ceremony conducted by club icon Sir Stanley Matthews. Known famously as the “Wizard of Dribble”, Matthews made over 259 first class appearance for Stoke, and it was only fitting that the local lad was chosen to help usher in a new era at the club. Previously the club played their home matches at the 1878 built Victoria Ground, however in the wake of the Hillsborough Disaster and subsequent publication of the Taylor Report in 1990 the landscape of English Football changed.

Terracing was now banned for teams in the top two divisions, and for many clubs like Stoke this meant either conversion or relocation. Costing £15 million to build, the decision to relocate to new facilities was made official in 1996, after the club engaged in a lengthy two year consultation period. The club receive a grant of £3 million by the Football Trust, and raised a further £1 million by selling the naming rights to the stadium to Britannia Building Society on an initial 10 year deal. After a construction period of around 18 months, the inaugural competitive fixture came against Swindon Town on 27th August 1997. Attracting an impressive 23,859 capacity crowd, the first match didn’t quite go to plan as fans encountered mass congestion due to stadium planners neglecting to improve the surrounding infrastructure. When Sir Stanley Matthews died in February 2000 his ashes were buried inside the stadium’s centre circle, and Stoke erected a statue outside of the ground in his honour. Currently equipped with a respectable 27,743 capacity, there are no current plans to expand the stadium in the near future.

Seating Plan Below is a seating plan of Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium: Stands The four sections of the Britannia are: The Boothen End (North), The Sentinel Stand (East), The South Stand and The Q Railing Main Stand (West). Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the stadium. The Matchday Experience Away Fans Travelling supporters who make the trip to the Britannia are housed within The Marstons Pedigree Stand which occupies the space behind the southernmost goal-end. A medium sized, single-tiered construction, away fans share this part of the stadium with home supporters. The standard allocation is around 2,800 tickets issued per match. Watching the game from the western side of the Marstons Stand next to the players tunnel and main stand, away fans have decent views of the action on the pitch. Stoke have done a good job of modernising the Britannia and in ensuring that all visually intrusive support beams have been removed from the ground.

The concourse is more than adequate, and the selection of warm food such as pies and sausage rolls is much welcomed at half-time due to the lack of proper wind-breaker fitted to the side of the away stand. Best Pubs The nearby Harvester restaurant and Holiday Inn five minutes north-east of the stadium the two most prominent bars in the area. They both welcome away fans in small numbers as does the nearby Power League Five-aside centre and Longton Rugby Union Club 20 minutes south of the ground. If you are travelling in through the centre of town where Stoke-on-Trent station is or Longton, there is The Terrace Inn on Leek Road which is popular as the official designated pub for away fans. Food As one might expect from an out of town stadium fans are encouraged to use the club owned facilities around and within the ground, with the concourses well stocked with a typical selection of “refreshments” such as burgers, pieces, sausage rolls. On City road which connects the centre of Stoke with Longton there are quite a few fast-food outlets such as KFC and McDonalds, with both stations surrounded by a decent number of quick dining options.

Club Shop On Matchdays the club shop is open from 9.00 am right until kick-off, and then once again for 1 hour after the final whistle. There is also the mail order hotline which you can phone on 01782 826419 and the official online store . Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 5.30 pm Saturday (Non-Matchday): 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Sunday (Non-Matchday): Closed For those travelling in from the city centre there is also a club shop located at the INTU Potteries Shopping Centre which is generally open during the week from between 9.00 am – 5.30 pm Stadium Tours Stoke FC offer guided stadium tours which visit usually restricted areas such as dressing rooms and the dugouts.

Lasting for 45 minutes they are available at the following prices: Group of 5 people or less: £25.00 Group of 6-10: £35.00 Group of 11-20: £45.00 Currently Stoke lack online booking facilities but you can arrange a tour by either phoning 01782 592252 or emailing community@stokecityfc.co.uk Ticket Information Stoke F.C games typically fall into three pricing brackets matches fall into three pricing categories: Category B: between £25.00 – £35.00, Category A: somewhere between the two. Category A+: £40.00 – £50.00 Tickets for the Britannia can be purchased in a number of ways including online, phone (01782 367599) or from the ticket offices at the stadium and club shops. Note: If the match isn’t sold out the ticket office will be open on the day of the match before kick-off, so if it isn’t a high profile match it may be worth chancing your arm.

Matchday Travel The Britannia Stadium is located towards the South of Stoke-On-Trent approximately 2 miles from the train station and about 3 miles from Hanley – the shopping and night-life area of the city. A sign which reads “Welcome to Britannia Stadium, the home of Stoke City Football Club” Driving The stadium’s address for satnav is as follows: Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4EG. Car Parks As far as parking is concerned, as the stadium is located on a business park out of town there are quite a lot of spaces near the ground. Prices are generally no more than £5.00 at most, and will leave you within walking distance of The Britannia. Train With Stoke-on-Trent station being just two miles away from the stadium it is usually the most popular option for travelling away fans and for those who live within the wider county of Staffordshire. If you’re unsure where to go, either follow the crowd or ask one of the friendly policeman/locals – the walk will take you around 30 minutes. An Alternate option is of course to take a taxi but with the queue from the station, it probably won’t save you much time in the end.

Fans of the Potters going Potty after scoring. Bus On matchdays there are shuttle buses that depart every 15 minutes or so before kick off. To catch one of these, turn right after exiting the station and look for Glebe Street on the A500 near a Church – the queuing fans will be hard to miss. The bus costs just £3.00 for adults, and £2.00 for concessions such as children, students and OAPs. Note: The return buses for after the game depart from behind the Sentinel stand which is the Eastern side of the stadium. Airports and Flying East Midlands Airport is technically the closest at the stadium at 36 miles away, however it doesn’t have a great range of European flight options. Manchester International is much better equipped for foreign visitors, approximately 44 miles away, with a journey likely to take you one hour or so by car once you land. Hotels There are quite a few B&Bs dotted around Stoke, but the closest options are undoubtedly the Holiday Inn towards the North East of the stadium within the same business park.

With a Harvester Restaurant and Pub, it is certainly the most convenient accommodation but is unlikely to be the cheapest or easiest to book on the day. By Football Tripper ...... Lost Grounds - Welcome to DavWorld Welcome to DavWorld FOOTBALL: LOST GROUNDS Here's a warm welcome to my Football Lost Grounds Visits Page I like visiting the sites of old football grounds, which were once the home to League clubs*, but now either no longer there or just a mere shadow of their former self. Sites where the fans once stood, and where the cheers of the crowds, once loud and vibrant, have now become just a distant memory and have gone in the mist of time.. (* League - as in English Premier, Football League and Nationwide Conference, Scottish Premier and Football League) I have a site that will show all my photos from all the football grounds I've visited - English Premiership and Football League, Welsh Premier League, Scottish Premier League and Football Leagues, "Lost Grounds" (The sites of former league grounds, now gone) and Non League (around the UK) Go to: Below is a small selection of Lost Grounds that I have visited. However, here is a full list of all the Lost Grounds I’ve visited.

These are all grounds that have at some time been home to clubs in either English Premiership, Football League and the Conference (Blue Square Premier) - or the Scottish Premier League and Football League: Accrington Stanley....Peel Park: 1921-1962 (Later merged with Ayr FC to become Ayr United) Bolton Wanderers....Burnden Park: 1895-1998 Brighton & Hove Albion....Goldstone Ground: 1902-1997 Bristol Rovers....Eastville: 1897-1996 Here is a selection of the lost grounds I've been to: ACCRINGTON STANLEY: PEEL PARK Taken on 8th September, 2006, this photo is of Peel Park, which was Accrington Stanley's home from 1921 until 1962. The brick building on the left are the original changing rooms, built by the Supporters Club in 1937. AYR PARKHOUSE: BERESFORD TERRACE This picture, taken on 19th September, 2006 is of Beresford Terrace.

The site of the ground of Ayr Parhouse is on the right of the road in this photo. They played there between 1902 and 1910, before merging with Ayr FC to become Ayr United FC. BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION: GOLDSTONE GROUND This was the site of Brighton's old Goldstone Ground as on 8th July 2007. The edge of the main stand would have just appeared in the extreme right of the picture. After leaving here, they moved to the Withdean Stadium. Now, a new stadium is planned for the area of the town. BRISTOL ROVERS: EASTVILLE These photos were taken on 29th September, 2008 at Eastville. In the shadow of the M32 motorway, it is now the home of an Akea store, but from 1897 until 1996, was the home of Bristol Rovers. CHESTER CITY: SEALAND ROAD These photos were taken on 22nd March, 2010 at, what was from 1906 until 1990, the home of Chester City - Sealand Road.

Where the Pizza Hut is now, is where the main stand was, and the Toys 'R' Us is where the away stand was, behind the goal. The first picture below is how the fans in the home stand behind their goal would have seen the away end. The final photo shows where the outside of the home stand was. In 1990, Chester City moved to a new ground, the Deva Stadium. However, in March 2010, the club folded. CHESTERFIELD: SALTERGATE These photos were taken on 29th March, 2013 at, what was from 1871 until 2010, the home of Chesterfield - Saltergate. The final game there was a League Two game against AFC Bournemouth, on 8th May 2010. From the 2010/11 season, the team moved to the new b2net Stadium located in the Whittington Moor area of the town. In January 2012, the football club finally sold the Saltergate site to Barratt Homes.

Its demolition to make way for a new housing development began in April and was completed in July 2012, which you can see in the pictures below. CLYDEBANK: KILBOWIE PARK Taken on 21st September, 2006, this is the site of Clydebanks old Kilbowie Park Ground. The Bankies played her from 1966 until 2002, when they sadly folded. The site is now the Kilbowie Retail Park. COLCHESTER UNITED: LAYER ROAD The photos below were taken on 6th April 2011 at Layer Road. Colchester United's home from their formation in 1937 until 2008, when they moved to the Weston Homes Community Stadium. The ground on that day was exactly as it was, although overgrown inside. Layer Road was also home to non-league Colchester Town from 1910, until 1938, when they folded. .....

and on my return, on 18th September, 2013 COVENTRY CITY: HIGHFIELD ROAD Taken on 31st May, 2006, this photo is of Highfield Road, which was Coventry City's home from 1899 until 2005, when they moved to the Ricoh Arena. The main entrance to the ground was to the right of the pale blue railings in the centre of the picture.. .... and four years later: This was taken on that same corner, four years later, on 2nd June 2010 DERBY COUNTY: BASEBALL GROUND Taken on 1st June, 2007, this is all that remained of the Baseball Ground, home of Derby County from 1894 until 1997. DONCASTER ROVERS: BELLE VUE Taken on 6th April, 2007, this is me at Belle Vue (or towards the end, also called The Earth Stadium), just over three months after it was vacated by Doncaster Rovers, when they moved to their new Keepmoat Stadium.

- While walking around Belle Vue that day, I picked up this little piece of wood off the pitch. You can see the black and the red of part of the club badge on it. HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: LEEDS ROAD Taken on 22nd September, 2006, this is where my team, Huddersfield Town's ground was from 1908 to 1994 - Leeds Road, before they moved to the Galpharm Stadium. The Centre spot of the pitch was just outside what is now B & Q. . This is a plaque in the ground, in the car park outside B & Q, that marks where the centre spot exactly was. - "On the spot!!" LEICESTER CITY: FILBERT STREET Taken on 16th April, 2006, this is all that was left of Leicester City's old Filbert Street ground. They played there until 2002. In this photo, you'd have been looking towards the goalposts under the main stand. Leicester's present ground, the Walkers Stadium is less than half a mile from here.

ROTHERHAM: MILLMOOR These photos are of Millmoorand were taken on 1st April 2013. Until the end of the 2007/08, it was the home ground of Rotherham United, until a dispute over ownership forced them to move to the Don Valley Stadium in nearby Sheffield. The stadium was built in 1907 on the site of a flour mill. Redevelopment work was started on the ground, with a new main stand being built in place of the previous wooden main stand which was built in the 1950s. The new stand was planned to contain corporate facilities and bring the capacity back to over 10,000. The work was scheduled to finish in 2006, but has faced a series of setbacks, one of which was Japanese Knotweed being found on the site. At the start of 2011/12, Rotherham United moved from the Don Valley Stadium to the New York Stadium, only half a mile from Millmoor.

In May 2011, Rotherham Council announced a plan to allow the Rotherham Titans Rugby Union Club to move into Millmoor STOKE CITY: VICTORIA GROUND Taken on 24th September, 2007, this is where Stoke City's Victoria Ground was. This was the "Potters" home from 1878 until 1997.The footpath behind me goes through where the original pitch was. WALSALL: FELLOWS PARK Taken on 4th October, 2010, these photos were taken on the original site of Walsall's old fellows Park ground, now a Morrisons store. Where the clock is in the entrance is next to where the centre spot used to be. They played there from 1896 until 1990, when they moved to their new, nearby, Bescot Stadium. It was originally known as Hillary Street, and it was not until 1930, that the ground was renamed Fellows Park, in honour of the then chairman, Mr H.L. Fellows.

WIMBLEDON: PLOUGH LANE Taken on 1st March, 2006, this is all that was left of the original Plough Lane ground - home to Wimbledon FC. from 1899 until 1991. The name has now disappeared as they relocated and became Milton Keynes Dons. A band of supporters did form AFC Wimbledon in protest and keep the name in football. AFC Wimbledon play their home matches at Kingstonian's Kingsmeadow ground. Create a free website stumbleupon Email Comment The history of the oldest football clubs in the world is a fascinating topic of discussion for all fans of the beautiful game. In addition to legendary players, stadiums and the contents of trophy cabinets, the age of a football club is one of the more intriguing aspects of its identity. Very few of the oldest clubs in the world receive the attention of those at the elite level of the game, namely because many of them are local sides plying their trade in the lower leagues of their respective regions. The United Kingdom is widely considered to be the birthplace of association football, although nowadays the sport has spread to every corner of the globe including the rest of Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.

The first official match is recognised to have taken place on December 19th, 1863 in London, which lends to the fact that many of the oldest clubs in existence were formed within England, Scotland and Wales. Whether amateur, semi-professional or professional, these are the 20 oldest active football clubs in the world, and even the most knowledgeable of fans will be hard-pressed to have come across all of them. T18. Abingdon Town FC – 1870 via geograph.org.uk First up is Abingdon Town, a club based in the Oxfordshire country in south central England near the River Thames. The club began playing competitive football under its original name of Abingdon FC when it joined the Oxford & District League for the 1892-93 season. The Culham Road outfit has tasted success sporadically over its 145-year history, but is now a member of the 13th tier of the English system following its relegation from the Hellenic Football League in 2013-14. With barely two kilometres separating their respective grounds, the Abbotts have a fierce rivalry with Abingdon United. T18.

Marlow FC – 1870 via peterrmiles.wordpress.com Led by the first captain of England, Cuthbert Ottaway, Marlow FC became one of the original competitors in the inaugural FA Cup competition in 1871-72. Although it’s renowned for being the only club to have applied for entry to the famous tournament every season since its inception, Marlow has participated in the FA Cup on only one other occasion in the 1910-11 season. In 1984, the Blues turned down the opportunity to join the Southern League in order to remain an amateur club, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to take their place instead. Nowadays, Marlow competes in Southern League Division One South & West, playing home matches at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground. T18. Stranraer FC – 1870 via itv.com Founded in 1870, Stranraer FC is one of the oldest football club in Scotland. The Trotters played exclusively within the Southern Counties until 1949 when the club was granted a place in the C Division of Scottish football.

Located in the Dumfries and Galloway area, the club’s home venue is the 6,250 capacity stadium Stair Park, which opened in 1907. Currently vying for promotion from the Scottish League One, Stranraer will have their work cut out for them as they sit in second last place. 17. Kilmarnock FC – 1869 via scottishdsa.co.uk Kilmarnock FC, commonly referred to as Killie, is one of the most successful behind Glasgow Rangers and Celtic FC. The Scottish Premiership club has qualified for European competitions nine times through its 146-year history, and is one of the only Scottish teams to have played in the European Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup. Killie’s home turf is in the center of Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, a ground capable of holding 18,128 spectators. T15.

Harefield United FC – 1868 via snipview.com Formed under the original name of Harefield Victoria in 1868, Harefield United is the oldest club is Middlesex and a result of a merger with Harefield FC in 1934. The 147-year-old Hares, who play their home games at the 1,500 capacity Preston Park, fell agonizingly short of gaining promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division in the 2006-07 and 2008-09 campaigns when they finished as runners up on goal difference on both occasions. T15. Fordingbridge Turks FC – 1868 via doingthe116.wordpress.com One of the oldest amateur football clubs in the world, Fordingbridge Turks FC was founded in 1868 and named in honor of the bravery of Turkish forces during the Crimean War. The Turks, whose home ground is the Recreation Ground in Fordingbridge, merged with nearby junior club Fordingbridge Town FC in 2014.

The Fordingbridge Turks’ claim to fame is their ownership of the fifth-oldest football trophy in the world, the Basingstoke Cup, which they won three times in the late 19th century. T13. Sheffield Wednesday FC – 1867 via hdlogo.wordpress.com Sheffield Wednesday FC was founded by the members of a cricket club in 1867, making it the fifth-oldest professional football club in England. The Owls play their home games at Hillsborough in an area of Sheffield that used to be known as Owlerton. Sheffield Wednesday has been competing in the Championship since finishing second and gaining promotion from League 1 in 2011-12 campaign. The South Yorkshire club’s last piece of silverware came in the memorable 1991 Football League Cup final when it defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley Stadium. T13. Queen’s Park FC – 1867 via putajumperon.wordpress.com Queen’s Park FC is credited as the catalyst of Scottish football. The Glasgow outfit became the first Scottish club to exist when in was founded in the south of the capital during 1867.

Queen’s Park is and always has been an amateur club. Even today, its players follow the motto: “Ludere causa Ludendi” — meaning to play for the sake of playing. The club’s home, Hampden Park, is also the home of the Scotland national team, fitting for the only club in the country to have played in the FA Cup final. 12. Nottingham Forest FC – 1865 via windowssearch-exp.com It’s a shame to witness clubs with history as rich and successful as 150-year-old Nottingham Forest endure constant setbacks. Following a decade of successive top half finishes in the old Division 1 competition, Forest seemingly capitulated after the inception of the Premier League in 1992-93. The club was relegated to what is now known as the Championship and despite returning to the Premier League the next year, it has since struggled to maintain top-flight status with only four appearances in the last 21 campaigns. T10. Brigg Town FC – 1864 via nigelfishersbriggblog.blogspot.com Formed in 1864, Brigg Town FC plays in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, the ninth level of the English football pyramid.

Brigg Town was relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One South at the end of the 2014-15 campaign and has a fight on its hands to stay up this season. Commonly referred to as the Zebras, the 151-year-old club plays at The Hawthorns in Lincolnshire and last lifted a trophy in the form of the FA Vase at Upton Park during the 2002-03 season. T10. Wrexham FC – 1864 via wrexham.com Wrexham FC is the oldest club in Wales and the first outside of England and Scotland to feature on this list. Despite being of Welsh origin, the Reds were elected as members of England’s Football League in 1921 and the supporter-owned club is now a member of the fifth-tier National League. Founded in 1864, Wrexham plays its home fixtures at the Racecourse Ground, which is officially regarded as the oldest active international football stadium in the world. T7.

Civil Service FC – 1863 via twitter.com Formed and based in London during 1863, Civil Service FC is the last surviving entity of the original 11 clubs that founded the English Football Association. Having played in various amateur league competitions throughout its 152-year history, the club is currently a member of the Southern Amateur Football League. Civil Service FC’s home is at the Civil Service Sports Ground in Chiswick, a district in the west of the English capital. T7. Royal Engineers Association FC – 1863 via trivela.uol.com.br The Royal Engineers Association FC represents the Corps of Royal Engineers of the British Army. Founded in 1863, the 152-year-old club enjoyed a golden period during the 1870s, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and reaching four of the first seven installments of the competition. Nicknamed the Sappers, the club is based in Gillingham, a town in the English shire of Dorset, and plays its home fixtures at the Kings Bastion in Brompton. T7.

Stoke City FC – 1863 via blog.playtogga.com Stoke City FC, the oldest football club in the Premier League, is the only top-flight English club to feature on this list. Founded under the name of Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the club changed its name to Stoke City after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status in 1925. One of the founding members of the Football League, the 152-year-old Potters’ home ground is the Britannia Stadium, which opened in 1997 following their move from the Victoria Ground. 6. Notts County – 1862 via nottscountyfc.co.uk Although it fails to top this list, Notts County holds the title of being the oldest professional football club in the world. Formed in 1862, the club often referred to as the Magpies plays its home fixtures at Meadow Lane in Nottingham, which was built and opened in 1910. Notts shares an intense rivalry with Nottingham Forest with barely 300 meters separating the two teams.

The 153-year-old club lifted its last title in 2009-10 after earning promotion from League Two, the competition it currently plays in after it was relegated in the 2014-15 season. T4. Hallam FC – 1860 via ommons.wikimedia.org Hallam FC was formed three years too late to be the oldest football club in the world, but its 211-year-old home, Sandygate Road, is recognized as the oldest active ground in the world. The club is also believed to have won the world’s first cup competition, the 1867 Youdan Cup, which remains in its possession after the trophy was lost for a number of years until 1997. Formed in 1860, the Countrymen currently play in the Northern Counties East League Division One, the 10th level of the English football system. T4. Cray Wanderers – 1860 via twitter.com Hidden by the shadow of the five Premier League sides based in London, the 155-year-old Cray Wanderers survive as the oldest club in the English capital.

Formed in the Greater London borough of Bromley during 1860, the Wands play their home fixtures at Hayes Lane and compete in the Isthmian League Division One North. Despite its long history, the club has only progressed as far as the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup on one occasion in 2005-06, a year before it clinched successive Kent League titles. 3. Lima CFC – 1859 via nl.wikipedia.org Regarded as the oldest football club in Peru, Lima Cricket and Football club is the only non-British outfit to feature on this list. The club, supposedly founded by English immigrants in 1859, is based in the capital of the South American nation and currently a member of San Isidro District local league. Still operating as a multi-sorts club, the 156-year-old Lima CFC currently has two national titles in its trophy cabinet, the Peruvian Primera Division, won more than 100 years ago in 1912 and 1914. T1.

Cambridge University AFC – 1857 via snipview.com If the University of Cambridge’s proclamation that its team was formed in 1856 is accurate, Cambridge University AFC would be oldest football club in the world. However, as the club’s year of foundation is disputed by other organisations, it would be an injustice to claim it should top this list when others entries have significant evidence to back up their true age. Cambridge University AFC, which currently participates in the British Universities and Colleges Sport Premier South division, plays its home matches at either Grange Road Stadium or Fenners’ Pitches at the university. T1. Sheffield FC – 1857 via nonleague.pitchero.com Tied atop this list with Cambridge University AFC, Sheffield FC was also founded in 1857. The 158-year-old club is more likely to be the oldest association football club in the world, with FIFA commemorating their 150th anniversary by awarding it an Order of Merit in 2007. The South Yorkshire outfit currently competes in the eight-tier Northern Premier League Division One South and plays its home fixtures at the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield, Derbyshire.

The club, currently managed by former English footballer Andy Kiwomya, has a proud history and is arguably the more deserving holder of the oldest football club in the world. 296 Shares The Victoria Ground - Stoke City football club The Victoria Ground - Stoke City Football Club Old Grounds - The Victoria Ground The Victoria Ground - as it was Click images to view in Google Earth The Victoria Ground - what's there now The Victoria Ground was the home ground of Stoke City from 1878. The club played there for 119 years until they moved to the new ground at the Britannia Stadium in 1997. Ten years on, the land is still derelict. Victoria Ground Street View Lost Football League Grounds from the Air (Aerofilms Guide) Almost 20 clubs have relocated from their traditional homes to brand-new stadia in the last twenty years and this figure is constantly rising. The superb archive provides some 125 images recording many of these lost grounds. From the White City Stadium, once home of Queens Park Rangers, to Bristol Rovers ground Eastville, each of these grounds is illustrated with an historic shot recording the ground as it once looked.

The book provides a detailed caption outlining the history of the ground and its current status. Stoke datas to do the best football prediction and win your bet See Stoke's statistics Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863 the club changed its name to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. They are the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts County, and are one of the founding members of the Football League. Stoke play in the Premier League after winning promotion in 2008; prior to this Stoke had not participated in top-flight football for twenty-three years. Their first, and to date only, major trophy was won in the 1972 Football League Cup Final, when the team beat Chelsea 2–1. The club's highest league finish in the top division is 4th, which was achieved in the 1935–36 and 1946–47 seasons.

Stoke have competed in European football in 1972–73, 1974–75; and most recently in 2011–12. Stoke played in the FA Cup Final in 2011, finishing runners-up to Manchester City and have reached three FA Cup semi-finals; in 1899 then consecutively in 1971 and 1972. The club has won the Football League Trophy on two occasions; first in 1992 and most recently in 2000. Stoke's home ground is the Britannia Stadium, a 28,116 all-seater stadium. Before the stadium was opened in 1997, the club was based at the Victoria Ground, which had been their home ground since 1878. The club's nickname is 'The Potters', named after the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent and their traditional home kit is a red and white vertically striped shirt, white shorts and stockings. Stoke's traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers whilst their local rivals are Port Vale with whom they contest the Potteries derby.

The Britannia Stadium is an all-seater football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the home of Premier League club Stoke City F.C.. It has space for 27,743 spectators (reduced from 28,384 due to segregation). The stadium was built in 1997 at a cost of £14.7 million as a replacement for the Victoria Ground. The name is taken from the sponsors of the stadium, the Britannia Co-operative Bank. Along with hosting football matches, the stadium has played host to performers such as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Elton John. The ground also holds conference and banqueting suites, the Delilah's Bar, and a club shop selling Stoke City merchandise. The highest attendance recorded at the stadium was 28,218 for the sell-out fixture against Everton in their FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 2002. The first goal in the stadium was scored by Graham Kavanagh for Stoke in a league cup game against Rochdale. The club had played at the Victoria Ground until 1997.

Former player Sir Stanley Matthews' ashes were buried beneath the centre circle of the pitch following his death in February 2000; he had officially opened the stadium on 30 August 1997. Social Network

Question: What was the name of the home ground of Stoke City FC from 1878 until 1997?
Answer: VICTORIA GROUND